A more ponderous proposition there is not than a scholarly analysis of what comedy is and why we laugh at something. Take Arthur Schopenhauer — please. Humor, Schopenhauer writes, can be "traced to a syllogism in the first figure with an undisputed major and an unexpected minor, which to a certain extent is only sophistically valid."

Well, I mean to say, what?

Mike Sacks, a Vanity Fair editorial staff member, takes a more accessible approach in his illuminating and funny new book, "Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today's Top Comedy Writers." He explores the process of creating comedy with some of the best practitioners of the art and craft. "Who are these writers?" Sacks asks in his introduction. "How did they choose this very odd profession? What did they want to accomplish? How exactly do they do what they do? And perhaps most important, why?"

There are other weighty matters considered here: What are former "Saturday Night Live" writer James Downey's comedy pet peeves? How does The Onion choose its faux news headlines? How do you write a submission packet for late-night TV? What 200 movies does Bill Hader think every comedy writer should see?

To quote Hader's signature "SNL" character Stefon, this book has everything: 15 expansive and wide-ranging interviews and shorter chapters devoted to "Ultraspecific Comedic Knowledge" and "Pure, Hard-Core Advice." There is something marvelous on nearly every page for comedy aficionados and obsessives to geek out on.

"Poking a Dead Frog" is Sack's follow-up to his 2009 book, "And Here's the Kicker." In terms of sequels, we're talking "The Godfather: Part II" caliber. As with the previous book, the august assemblage gathered here defies superficial "comedy writer" categorization. Represented are stand-up comedians (Patton Oswalt, Marc Maron), cartoonists (Daniel Clowes and Roz Chast), writers for radio (Bob Elliott of "Bob and Ray" legend), television (Glen Charles of "Cheers," Mike Schur of "Parks and Recreation") and movies (Diablo Cody of "Juno"). Chicago is represented by author George Saunders and former Second City member and "Anchorman" director Adam McKay. And then there are the hyphenates: Mel Brooks, James L. Brooks and Paul Feig, who shares the meticulously detailed "show bible" of his one season cult classic TV series, "Freaks and Geeks."

One of the book's most fascinating and delightful subjects is Peg Lynch, the still sharp 97-year-old writer of "Ethel and Albert," a once popular 1940s and '50s radio and TV series that anticipated "Seinfeld's" parsing of life's minutiae. In one jaw-dropping exchange, she reveals that as a young teen, she interviewed Lou Gehrig on the day he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. She also says she turned down a dinner request from a persistent Sen. John F. Kennedy because she had to work on a script.

"I am no humor expert," Sacks insists, but his subjects have life and career lessons and wisdom to share, not to mention some great stories, and he deftly draws them out to reveal what makes them tick. Saunders discusses how growing up in South Chicago affected his work and shares a darkly funny anecdote about his father attending a neighbor's wake that builds to a mournful punchline, "This is the sickest she's ever been."

Don't expect much in the way of show business gossip. Downey's dis of one of "SNL's" worst hosts ever is about as dishy as it gets (Spoiler alert: It's Steven Seagal). Instead, the book unfolds as a succession of "a-ha" (emphasis on the "ha") moments that are entertaining, enlightening and perhaps inspiring to anyone engaged in any creative pursuit.

Two themes recur throughout. The first is "to thine own self be true." Mike DiCenzo, a writer for "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" encourages, "Write what you're passionate about … and it always translates better." Stephen Merchant also advocates writing "stuff that feels personal and unique" rather than "something more cynical: 'Let me see if I can find a gap in the market.'"

The second is that old saw about how "comedy is hard." Amy Poehler (who also spent time in Chicago) offers, "People quit because it's really hard. It's hard not to have a house, hard not to have money … hard to have your parents ask you every day what you're going to do with your life. … It's hard to submit things that get rejected."

And yet, because of the Internet and social media, Sacks contends, "We are now living in a comedic Golden Age." At the very least, we live in a Golden Age of opportunity. "A twenty-one-year-old … who writes hilarious jokes on Twitter is potentially just as important (or influential) as any professional comedy writer for The New Yorker," Sacks insists. "There are all kinds of different paths to get to places," stand-up Anthony Jeselnik tells Sacks. "But you have to work your butt off."

"Poking a Dead Frog" takes its title from E.B. White's oft-quoted observation in The New Yorker, "Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process and the innards are discouraging to any but the pure scientific mind. … (Humor) won't stand much poking"

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